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LA Galaxy Postgame Media Assets, Notes and Quotes: LA Galaxy Fall 3-2 to LAFC in 16th Edition of El Tráfico at Banc of California Stadium on Friday Night

July 9, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


LOS ANGELES - Squaring off in the 16th edition of El Tráfico, the LA Galaxy fell 3-2 on the road to LAFC at Banc of California Stadium on Friday night. Rayan Raveloson tallied a goal and an assist for the Galaxy, while Samuel Grandsir scored his first goal of the 2022 campaign.

LA Galaxy Against LAFC

Friday's match between the LA Galaxy and LAFC marked the 16th meeting between the two sides across all competitions, with the Galaxy leading the all-time series 7-4-5. In three matches played against LAFC across all competitions this season, the Galaxy are 2-1-0, outscoring LAFC 7-5. The loss to LAFC marked the Galaxy's first defeat in six games played in the series dating back Oct. 25, 2020. In 16 editions of El Tráfico, the Galaxy and LAFC have combined to score 70 goals, or an average of 4.36 goals scored per game.

Goal-Scoring Plays

LFC - Jose Cifuentes (Kellyn Acosta), 17th minute: Kellyn Acosta's in-swinging corner kick found Jose Cifuentes, whose header from the center of the penalty area found the back of the net.

LA - Samuel Grandsir (Rayan Raveloson, Efraín Álvarez), 55th minute: At the top of the 18-yard box, Efraín Álvarez found Rayan Raveloson on the left side of the penalty area. The Madagascar international dribbled toward the end line and cut a pass back towards the middle of the box to Samuel Grandsir, whose sliding shot snuck past Maxime Crepeau.

LFC - Jose Cifuentes (Carlos Vela), 70th minute: Cutting onto his left foot, Carlos Vela delivered a cross into the box that Cifuentes headed in from close range.

LFC - Cristian Arango (Carlos Vela, Kwadwo Poku), 72nd minute: Cristian Arango dribbled towards goal and his right-footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box found the bottom, far corner of the net.

LA - Rayan Raveloson (Víctor Vázquez), 81st minute: Working down the right side of the penalty area, Víctor Vázquez's driven cross into the center of the box was forcefully headed into the back of the net by Rayan Raveloson.

Postgame Notes

Friday's match between the LA Galaxy and LAFC marked the 16th meeting between the two sides across all competitions, with the Galaxy leading the all-time series 7-4-5.

In 16 editions of El Tráfico, the LA Galaxy and LAFC have combined to score 70 goals, or an average of 4.36 goals per game.

In three matches played against LAFC across all competitions this season, the LA Galaxy are 2-1-0, outscoring LAFC 7-5.

The loss to LAFC marked the Galaxy's first defeat in six games played in the series dating back Oct. 25, 2020.

In nine matches played on the road across all competitions in 2022, LA holds a 4-3-2 record.

The Galaxy rank second in the league in goals scored in the last 15 minutes of the second half (10), behind only LAFC (12)

LA has scored multiple goals in the second halves of their last three matches played in MLS regular-season play dating back to June 29.

Rayan Raveloson notched a goal and an assist in the loss to LAFC.

Raveloson has tallied three goals and one assist in the team's last two matches dating back July 4.

The goal against LAFC marked Samuel Grandsir's first goal of the 2022 campaign.

Grandsir made his 56th consecutive appearance for the Galaxy across all competitions dating back to April 18, 2021.

Efraín Álvarez recorded an assist for a second consecutive match dating back to July 4.

Víctor Vázquez notched his second assist in league play this year.

Vázquez registered a game-high five chances created in 21 minutes played as a second-half substitute.

Mark Delgado finished the match with a team-high 11 possessions won and a game-high four interceptions.

Julián Araujo started and played 90 minutes in his 90th career appearance (80 starts) across all competitions for the Galaxy.

Next Game

Up next, the LA Galaxy play host to the San Jose Earthquakes in the 78th regular-season edition of the California Clásico at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, July 13. The July 13 match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. PT and features a national television broadcast on FS1 and FOX Deportes.

LA Galaxy (8-7-3, 27pts) at LAFC (12-4-3, 39pts)

July 8, 2022 - Banc of California Stadium (Los Angeles)

Goals by Half 1 2 F

LA Galaxy 0 2 2

LAFC 1 2 3

Scoring Summary:

LFC: Cifuentes (Acosta), 17

LA: Grandsir (Raveloson, Álvarez), 55

LFC: Cifuentes (Vela), 70

LFC: Arango (Vela, Opoku), 72

LA: Raveloson (Vázquez), 81

Misconduct Summary:

LA: Álvarez (caution), 8

LA: Coulibaly (caution), 45+3

LFC: Palacios (caution), 50

LA: Edwards (caution), 59

LA: Williams (caution), 90+1

Lineups:

LA: GK Jonathan Bond; D Julián Araujo, D Séga Coulibaly, D Derrick Williams, D Raheem Edwards; M Samuel Grandsir (Sacha Kljestan, 69), M Rayan Raveloson, M Mark Delgado, M Efraín Álvarez (Víctor Vázquez, 69); F Dejan Joveljić (Kévin Cabral, 70), F Javier "Chicharito" Hernández ©

Substitutes Not Used: GK Jonathan Klinsmann; D Nick DePuy, D Kelvin Leerdam, D Eriq Zavaleta; M Daniel Aguirre, M Jonathan Pérez

TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Rayan Raveloson, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Rayan Raveloson, 2); FOULS: 12 (Raheem Edwards, 3) OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 2

LFC: GK Maxime Crepeau; D Jesus Murillo, D Ryan Hollingshead, D Sebastian Ibeagha; M Ilie Sanchez, M Jose Cifuentes (Francisco Ginella, 83), M Diego Palacios, M Kellyn Acosta; F Cristian Arango (Latif Blessing, 74), F Carlos Vela ©, F Danny Musovski (Kwadwo Opoku, 43)

Substitutes Not Used: GK John McCarthy; D Giorgio Chiellini, D Eddie Segura, D Mamadou Fall; F Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, F Cal Jennings

TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Jose Cifuentes, Cristian Arango, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Jose Cifuentes, 3); FOULS: 13 (Diego Palacios, 3) OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 4

Referee: Armando Villarreal

Assistant Referees: Micheal Barwegen, Jason White

Fourth Official: Elvis Osmanovic

VAR: Victor Rivas

Weather: Clear, 74 degrees

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial

LA GALAXY POSTGAME QUOTES

LA GALAXY HEAD COACH GREG VANNEY

On his thoughts on the match:

"I thought in the grand scheme of things we got punished on not a ton of chances, in my opinion. The two goals in the second half come, kind of on the heels of the substitution of when we're trying to get settled in. I don't really know exactly what happened with the second goal, because I haven't seen it. The first one is the set piece. I don't really know, I know [Carlos] Vela whips in a ball that gets redirected in front of the goal. And I don't really know what happens in the situation. The third one is... which happens on the heels of the second one, is we lose a back pass, that puts them into a transition that puts us in crisis and they finish it. But, I thought the fight, the battle was there. I think we came out and competed. We looked at, again, in a tough game, the two forward situation, I thought there was times when we had a hard time controlling the midfield. Again, with the two forwards high, we just had a hard time overloading the midfield, which, meant that our possessions weren't on, that through line. It was like, attack and attack and attack once you get there. But, what we were trying to do there with the substation was we were trying to get our numbers in the midfield to try and control the game, to give ourselves more options on the ball, so we didn't spend as much time just trying to survive it. So, in the process of trying to get settled in, we obviously gave up the two goals. Once we got settled in, we got in really good spots. We could create chances pretty consistently. Until the latter stretch where I felt like we got impatient. You know, I said to the guys, a few too many for sure lost balls when we were trying to play out of the back, instead of quickly slipping the ball into somebody in our midfield and letting the game get going, and keeping our guys who are there to protect us, and protecting the positions. When you dribble in as a defender and lose it, then you're really exposing the transition. I thought we had too many of those. So, over the course of 90 minutes, from what I can remember off the top of my head, I think our chances were every bit, or better, than theirs in some of the situations. But, it's a game of details and taking chances when you get them. So, again, that's for me, a little bit of the match."

On if he can expand a little more on the point in the match when the squad was playing impatient:

"I think the impatience comes a little bit from, like I said to you, when you're playing with two forwards and there's numbers high, and there's too many numbers high, and the distance between the guys who are trying to get the attack started and the guys who are on the front who are trying to score goals, there's not a lot of linkage in between, which means that the possessions end up, for me, being a little bit all or nothing. And, I felt like we were a little bit that in the first half. We were a little bit impatient. We didn't have great connections in the midfield a little bit, again, numbers being pretty high. And so, again, I thought that led to some transitions that we had to deal with. It led to us being all or nothing in some of our attacks. So, that's one of the things that we were just trying to correct as the game was pushing into the second half. We got the equalizer. We were trying to establish a little bit more presence in the midfield."

On Sacha Kljestan and coming on, holding them back for a few minutes, and if he regrets keeping them off the field longer than first anticipated:

"No, I mean, we got the goal right at that moment, so I wanted to... you know, the group has an energy and a one up at that moment, so I didn't want to do it at that moment. Because you have a little bit of the edge. A little bit of the bounce and power. And I didn't want to switch us right at that moment. But, I think for the next five minutes or so, I felt like we were a little bit under it, a little bit impatient. A little bit disconnected and trying to get a hold of the ball. We were losing the middle of the midfield in that particular stretch. I tried to regain it with the substitutions, and it took us a few minutes to get settled in, and those few minutes, we take a couple goals, and that becomes the difference. Just like that. But once we got settled in, I thought they didn't have great solutions for where we were. And our connection to the midfield, we started to gain possession, and started to really create problems for them, and had some chances off the work."

On the substitutions, and the team finding the strength and heart to fight back, and what he is most disappointed with in the play:

"For me, there's two pieces. Against a team that is as good at counterattacking as they are, we lost too many balls. Like, in possession. Dribbling from the back line, where we were trying to drive in and find a better solution than the one that's simple right in front of us. And I felt like that put us into some difficult situations. The second part was, and I would agree with you, that we got into some good positions, and sometimes that last ball, the last touch, the one that can maybe really unlock, or give us the time edge in front of the goal, we missed that one. And that's why I say the game comes down to details in the end. We missed out on some of those details. And these games that are tough, and good, and on the road against good teams, that stuff matters. But, again, I go back. I thought the fight was there. I thought the fight back was excellent. And I thought we really took control of the game after that. But, it wasn't enough to get ourselves back."

On if LAFC is the best team the Galaxy have played this season:

"I don't know if I would say specifically they're the best team. They're a good team. I think there's some good teams in our league. But I think what they are, is they are punishing in the counterattack. You lose balls in bad places, they're very good at getting those runs through the outside back and centerback space and they play that ball through there with... They don't waste a second. They play it through there and they put you in crisis right away. They're one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team in the league in doing that, in my opinion. And so if you lose balls in bad spots and you lose balls where you're vulnerable, they can hurt you. They did and they also have a lot of size on set-pieces and they got us on the first one. But overall best team? It's tough to say. I think there's a handful of a few good teams in this league that present different challenges than maybe they do."

LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER VÍCTOR VÁZQUEZ

On what he saw in the match before coming in as a second-half substitute:

"I think we weren't so far [apart], Okay, they maybe dominated the first half a bit more, but they are not the team that like to dominate the game. You know, they are trying always to do more like counter attacks because they have the speed in front and we tried to avoid that by controlling and having the ball as much as possible. In the first half, maybe we didn't. They lead the game 1-0 in the first half. We tried in the second half to come maybe with a bit more [aggression] with more [power], with everything. And then when we came in, we [allowed] these two goals that at the end obviously kill us because 3-1 is difficult always to come back in 30 minutes, but we try again. I think that's the positive thing for us. We have to keep growing like this, even though if today was against the rival that you never want to lose these kind of games, but I think we have a lot of positive things also from the game. ‚¬Â

On how long until he thinks the team is going to be in a perfect moment after an up and down run of form:

"It's been up and down and I think we need to establish maybe some kind of control in the game. You saw [in the] beginning and also in the second half that it was going back and forth all the time and this is not our game. This is their game and they like to play like that. That's why also they scored their two goals. We have to learn. This is soccer, this is football and we have to take the good things and the bad things. But I think there are a lot of good things also from the game today, even though we lost."

LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER MARK DELGADO

On the difficulties of tonight's opponent and all of the distractions off the pitch:

"I didn't find anything quite difficult about them at all. Just another team. I feel like we as a group could have been a lot better. We could have been more organized as a group. Guys could have been more organized in our buildouts. I think they were definitely looking to keep me off the ball as much as possible. I feel like we could have used that to our advantage, just because they were looking to pressure me, and we could have bypassed me and found people in the gaps and turn, and once you turn on them, they start to panic, they don't know what to do, their back line isn't great. But big ups to them, they finished their chances. There's a whole show going on the outside, and I paid no attention to it. I can control what I can control on the pitch, so I paid more attention to that."

On whether the team is bummed about not being able to take some points from tonight:

"Yeah. Guys are obviously disappointed. Not getting the result and not getting at least a point, or three points like we felt like we could have gotten. We felt like we were the better team. Like I said, if we just played our game like we closer to the second half, where we played more possession and we found gaps and we were starting to get behind them, getting balls in front of the goal, if we played our game like that throughout the whole match, I feel like we could have been a lot more successful. But you know, emotions run high. We just need to do a better job in controlling our emotions."

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